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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28705962">Californian Christmas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79'>Huntress79</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agent Carter (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Holiday Season, Multi, Open Marriage, Peggy Carter &amp; Rose Roberts friendship, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Post-Season/Series 02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:27:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28705962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s closing in on Christmas, and for the first time ever, Peggy finds herself missing the old traditions she’s used to in these holy days. Even more so now that she’s in California, a place where snow on Christmas morning is just as much an oddity as many other things. Good thing she has Ana and Edwin at her side, then.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peggy Carter/Ana Jarvis/Edwin Jarvis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Holly Poly 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Californian Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlassesOfJustice/gifts">GlassesOfJustice</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>written for Holly Poly 2020 and GlassesofJustice. Set after Agent Carter Season 2, but with the divergence that Daniel and Peggy didn’t end up as a couple. Hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ho-Ho-Ho! Merry Christmas!”</p><p>Passing the man in the red suit, Peggy wasn’t sure what she should feel about it. Sure, it was Christmas time, and if she were in London or New York, she wouldn’t mind seeing a Santa outside a store at all.</p><p>But this year, she was in California, and somehow, the scene in front of her - a Santa in all his glory sitting under a large beach umbrella that protected him from the warm Californian sun - left her a bit bewildered.</p><p>“Ah, there you are.”</p><p>Even with just these four words, Rose managed to pull Peggy from her current train of thought. For better or for worse, her bubbly personality was her superpower, and something all of them needed from time to time.</p><p>“Yeah, I…” Peggy was at a loss for words, so she just gestured over to the Santa.</p><p>“Oh. Please tell me you have a Santa back in London as well?”</p><p>“Of course we have,” Peggy replied while they were heading down the street. “But usually, any store Santa has to fight the cold, not the warmth.”</p><p>“I understand, and I have to admit, it’s a bit strange to see one while everyone is wearing summer clothing most of the time,” Peggy gave a nod, “but hey, if Hollywood can make it snow on their filming lots at any day of the year, everything seems to be possible.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right,” Peggy concluded with a sigh. “So, any plans for the holidays?”</p><p>“Not really. I mean, Aloysius mentioned something about spending Christmas Eve together, but that was in Mid-November…”</p><p>“And nothing since?” Of course, the spy in Peggy woke up at hearing that. “Do you want me to talk to him?”</p><p>“No, no,” the bubbly redhead waved it off. “If he really wants to spend time with me, it has to come from him, and him alone. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your offer, but I don’t think it will end well if he feels forced to do it.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right.” Peggy heaved another sigh. “As it looks now, I will spend the holidays with the Jarvises. Jason is laying low, after everything,” now it was Rose’s turn to nod, “Daniel is sorting out his mother’s will back in New York, and Jack is recuperating at some undisclosed place.”</p><p>“And what about Mr. Stark?”</p><p>“Howard is also back in New York, and he’s courting a young Broadway actress.”</p><p>“Oh dear, that is, actually, sad.”</p><p>“What?” Peggy asked, not really following Rose’s train of thought.</p><p>“You, being all alone on one of the most romantic holidays after Valentine’s Day.”</p><p>“Ah, it’s not that bad.” Rose gave her a raised eyebrow, and Peggy couldn’t help but think that the other woman would make a good spy herself. “Okay, yeah, it is, but on the bright side, I get to spend it in a peaceful way this year.”</p><p>“Because of the war?”</p><p>“Yeah, I spent both Christmas 43 and 44 in between battlefields, and apart from a bunch of nurses, as the only woman among war-weary men.”</p><p>“Wow,” was all the the redhead could get out as answer. “Anyway, even if you gonna spend the holidays with ‘just’ two good friends, you need a gift for them.”</p><p>“That’s why we’re here, Rose.”</p><p>“Any ideas on what to get them?”</p><p>“Not in the slightest, but I’m a spy, I will find a way.”</p><p>And with that, Peggy led the other woman into another store.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*********************</p>
</div>Back at the Stark mansion, the holiday preparations were in full swing.<p>In the living room, a large space near the windows was already cleared out, and in couple of days, Edwin would put up the tree, and he and Ana would decorate it. Even with Howard being in New York, the two would celebrate the holidays like every other year.</p><p>“Honey,” Ana called out from the hallway, entering the living room only moments later with two large boxes, “do you know anything about Peggy’s holiday plans?”</p><p>“Not that much,” Edwin replied, taking the boxes from his wife and placing them near the cleared out space. “At first, I thought she would accompany either Mr. Stark or Agent Sousa to New York, then I thought she might go back to the Kingdom to be with what’s left of her family, but now it looks like she’s staying here in California.”</p><p>“On her own?” Ana exclaimed, a touch of her Hungarian mother tongue slipping in.</p><p>“Afraid so,” Edwin admitted, giving his wife a look. “You are planning something, Ana?”</p><p>“Well,” she began while heading over to the large couch, her husband following. “Maybe it’s only me, but I have noticed the looks she gives both of us.”</p><p>“Because you can live with me being dragged into spy things on a regular basis, which is quite uncommon. And which I love maybe the most about you.” For emphasis, Edwin gave Ana a passionate kiss.</p><p>“Maybe,” she agreed. “But maybe it’s more. Maybe she’s interested, either in you, or me, or maybe both of us.” Ana looked up at her husband, an almost predatory smile on her face. “So, maybe we should test that theory and see where it ends?”</p><p>“Hopefully not in heartbreak, and us losing her as a friend.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*********************</p>
</div>Christmas Eve finally came around, and after her morning routine, Peggy decided to spend the day mostly in her room. A couple of days earlier, Ana had invited her to have Christmas dinner with them, since Edwin was going to make his traditional roast beef with all the trimmings, and maybe this year, there wouldn’t be so much left afterwards.<p>Peggy agreed, even though a bit reluctant. She was raised in the belief that Christmas was a “family only” affair, and as much as she liked to spend time with either of the Jarvises, she didn’t want to intrude either.</p><p>And so, she made herself a compromise - she would have dinner with them, give them their gifts and retreat to her room as quick as possible, without being impolite.</p><p>If only she knew…</p><p>“What’s with the sad face?”</p><p>Ana’s melodic voice, heavily laced with humor, brought Peggy back to reality.</p><p>“It’s nothing, Ana. I guess it’s just a bit of melancholy, thanks to the holiday spirit.”</p><p>“I don’t understand,” Ana replied, sitting down at the footend of the bed. “Are you not happy?”</p><p>“Oh, I am, don’t worry,” Peggy was quick to reassure, “and yet, it’s around this time of year that I miss certain people the most.”</p><p>“Oh dear,” Ana exclaimed, grabbing Peggy’s hand. “Like Steve?”</p><p>“Yeah, and my brother, my father, heck, even my aunt Eleanor. She was a mean, old woman, but the butterscotch cookies she made every Christmas are still unrivaled.”</p><p>“Do you happen to have the recipe?” Ana asked, causing Peggy to nod. “So, maybe next year, we can try to recreate them, see if we can live up to your aunt’s standards?”</p><p>“That… that would be nice. But only if it’s not too much to ask.” Peggy gave a humorless, bordering on sarcastic chuckle. “And given that I’m still alive, which is something you never know in my line of work.”</p><p>“Well,” Ana said while getting to her feet, “as my mother used to say, ‘don’t get too much ahead of yourself’. So don’t worry about what the future might hold and seize the day, the moment, to live a bit.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*********************</p>
</div>Attending the dinner was, in hindsight, the best idea Peggy had in quite some time. Not only that the food was short of straight out of heaven, the company was on par with it.<p>In an almost steady stream, both Edwin and Ana kept her entertained with stories of their lives before their paths had crossed. And in combination with the mulled wine, Peggy felt herself getting more and more mellow the longer the evening went on.</p><p>“Edwin,” she finally said, “I didn’t know that you are such an excellent cook.” Peggy pointed at the leftovers of the roastbeef, which they planned to have for either breakfast or lunch the next day. “I haven’t had such a delicious dinner in quite some time.”</p><p>“Thank you, Peggy,” Edwin replied, and for a hot moment, Peggy could see the faint traces of a blush creeping up his neck. “Working for a notorious bachelor as Mr. Stark required it, and over the years, I think I managed to expand my abilities a bit.”</p><p>The last course of the dinner was Yorkshire pudding, and after handing out pieces of it to both women, Edwin suggested they should relocate to the living room before grabbing what was left of the mulled wine.</p><p>Ana and Peggy followed, though Peggy excused herself for a moment in order to go back to her room and retrieve the gifts she had for them.</p><p>Coming back to the living room, Peggy was stopped dead in her tracks as soon as her eyes landed on the Jarvises.</p><p>The married couple was sitting on the couch, their bodies so close that it was hard to say where Edwin’s began and Ana’s ended, and in a liplock that turned Peggy’s knee into jelly.</p><p>And yet, she couldn’t command any part of her body to turn around and leave them alone.</p><p>The display in front of her was, for the lack of a better word, hot and forbidden, but on the other hand, it did things to Peggy’s body she hadn’t felt in a long time.</p><p>“Peggy, darling,” Ana suddenly spoke up, her voice rolling down Peggy’s spine like molasses, “don’t stand around like a statue. Come, join us here.” For emphasis, both her and Edwin patted the couch between them, and try as she might, Peggy couldn’t do anything than comply.</p><p>She barely had sat down when both Jarvises grabbed one hand of hers. For the life of her, Peggy couldn’t even begin to fathom where this evening might lead. But funny enough, she was willing to follow, no matter of the direction.</p><p>“Peggy,” Edwin began, his eyes a soft brown, due to both the lights on the Christmas tree and the fire in the chimney, “as you might know, Ana and I are both good at observing people.” Peggy nodded. It was actually one of the first things she herself had noticed about the butler and his wife. “And we both noticed something about you.”</p><p>“Me?” Peggy asked, recieving twin nods from both sides. “I… I’m sorry, if it somehow offended…”</p><p>“Oh, shush,” Ana interrupted. “We wouldn’t choose today to talk about it if it offended us, would we?”</p><p>“No, I guess not.”</p><p>“Correct,” Edwin continued. “No, Peggy, what we noticed were the looks you gave us when you thought none of us was looking. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we both could deduce a certain kind of interest in those looks.”</p><p>“And…?” Peggy prompted, not knowing for once where this was leading.</p><p>“And of course, we got curious,” Ana took over. “Curious if that interest is in Edwin, in me, or eventually in both of us.”</p><p>“Wh… What!?” Peggy felt sick to the stomach. Sure, she always had known that she was interested in both sexes, but she vowed to herself that she would never force her way into an established relationship. And a marriage, especially a good one like that of Edwin and Ana Jarvis, that could survive the worst storms of life, was exactly in that forbidden land.</p><p>“You heard right, Peggy,” Edwin continued, the hand holding Peggy’s rubbing calming circles into her skin. “You see, Ana and I have what would probably fit the description of an open marriage.”</p><p>“With our own set of rules,” Ana added, sensing the rising confusion in Peggy. “Once in a while, we add a third person, usually someone we absolutely trust. And yes, Howard has got that special experience as well.”</p><p>“But… you’re married,” Peggy finally got out. “You gave a vow to live monogamous.”</p><p>“Well, yes, we did, but who’s to say we have to live every single day following that vow? Besides,” Edwin added while inching even closer to Peggy, “if the last year here in Los Angeles taught us all one thing, it’s that life is too short to second-guess things. If that means levering out some aspects of a marriage, then so be it.”</p><p>“I would say as long as everyone involved is happy, nothing else matters,” Ana added.</p><p>“So, you wanna have a threesome?” Peggy asked.</p><p>“Yes, at least for starters,” Edwin replied. “Depending on how you feel about afterwards, Ana and I even can imagine something more permanent, for the time being.”</p><p>“But let’s just start and see where it’s leading all of us, honey,” Ana cut in, her hand starting up Peggy’s arm, leaving a hot trail of goosebumps in its wake.</p><p>“Maybe we should relocate?” Peggy sugggested. “As much as I enjoy sitting here between the two of you, I don’t think it’s gonna be that comfortable once we get to the more action part of it.”</p><p>“She’s right,” Edwin replied with a smile before getting to his feet and extending a hand to each woman.</p><p>“Of course she is,” Ana added while grabbing one of his and holding onto Peggy’s hand simultaneously. “After all, she’s a spy. And a very smart woman on top of that.”</p><p>For the first time in a very long time, Peggy felt herself blushing at the praise coming from the Jarvises. And while she followed the couple down the hallway to their bedroom, she somehow felt that this was going to be her best Christmas ever.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>*********************</p>
  <p>The End</p>
  <p>*********************</p>
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